When Senju Makoto returned to the classroom, he didn't forget to glance at Shimura Danzo's seat. That little scapegoat was nowhere to be found. Sarutobi Hiruzen was still engrossed in the story of A-Zang. One could only say he truly lived up to being the future teacher of Jiraiya; his interest in such stories was profound.
Makoto had completely underestimated the power of his "rumor-dispelling." He had also underestimated the transmission and creative abilities of the Ninja Academy students and villagers, whose entertainment options were extremely scarce in the early days of Konoha.
This wave of utterly ridiculous rumors was like throwing a kerosene-soaked Molotov cocktail into a pile of dry firewood. The fire roared instantly, and there was no stopping it.
Furthermore, at this stage in Konoha, there were no management institutions like the Police Force or the Anbu. By chance, Sarutobi Sasuke had taken the day off and wasn't at the school, leaving the final potential line of suppression empty.
In just a single afternoon, the "epic, soul-stirring forbidden love that transcended gender and clan barriers" between Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen swept through every grade and class of the Ninja Academy like a wildfire. It spread, fermented, mutated, and escalated.
First-year brats chased upperclassmen for details, while the older students huddled together to fill in the plot. The version iterations were incredibly fast.
By the time the school bell rang, this foul wind had blown completely out of the school gates, sweeping through the dango shops, ninja tool stores, bookstores, and vegetable markets surrounding the Academy. It began to quietly infiltrate the mansions of the various Konoha clans, the Mission Assignment Office, and even the teahouses near the Hokage's office.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, listened with great interest. He usually ignored ordinary rumors, but gossip this explosive actually piqued his curiosity.
The story continued to "evolve" as it spread. Details became richer, the plot more outrageous, and the theories wilder. By evening, a new version had emerged.
It was said that "The fathers of Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen were also a pair of star-crossed lovers forced apart in the past, each marrying and having children for the sake of clan responsibility."
"However, they buried their deep affection in their hearts. Their sons, brought together by fate, unconsciously repeated the mistakes of their fathers, falling into an even more desperate and fiery forbidden love..."
Hearing this "epic" version, filled with "fatalism," both civilians and ninjas were dumbfounded yet secretly enjoyed it, discussing it heatedly in private.
Senju Hashirama, in particular, seemed to feel the resonance of his own bond with Uchiha Madara in this story. Instead of stopping the rumors, he openly joined the discussion, making the momentum of the gossip even more massive.
When Sarutobi Sasuke and the Shimura Clan Head, who were on break today, heard these rumors, their faces turned a shade of blackish-green. They shook with rage, barely able to stop themselves from spitting out a mouthful of blood. The reputation they had built while traversing the Warring States period had been completely dragged through the mud by these two brats!
While Konoha was in an uproar due to this sudden "gossip storm," deep within Senju Makoto's sealing space, the giant golden hand hovering in the center shook once more. Immediately after, it grabbed the Sage of Six Paths as if he were a small chick.
The golden light on the fingertips surged, and without mercy, it stripped away another wisp of his Otsutsuki bloodline origin. The dark-gold wisp swirled in the palm of the giant hand and was completely refined in an instant, turning into pure, warm, and rich nourishing energy floating in the center of the space.
Watching himself being stripped of bloodline power again, the Sage of Six Paths turned as pale as paper. His lips trembled, yet he was powerless to resist. He instinctively looked at the pink cross on the other side of the space and saw that the seal on the woman's feet had loosened further. More of her jade-like skin was exposed, and the pink halo grew denser. The despair in his heart deepened.
After school, Senju Makoto returned to his small courtyard on the edge of the Senju compound. Hashirama was busy discussing gossip and hadn't returned. Just as Makoto was about to begin high-intensity physical training, the translucent panel of his cheat surfaced quietly, glowing with a soft golden light.
[Cumulative Otsutsuki Bloodline Origin available for absorption in the Sealing Space ×2]
Without a second thought, Makoto willed his consciousness to sink into the sealing space. Before he could even sense things properly, two walnut-sized, golden clusters of Otsutsuki bloodline origin shot toward him like swallows returning to their nest. With a "whoosh," they dived into his body.
A warm, rich power instantly spread to his limbs. It intertwined with the original bloodline origin within him, causing his meridians to glow with a faint golden light. His whole body felt warm and exceptionally comfortable.
"Tsk, I haven't even finished digesting the big cluster from before, and now two small ones have arrived."
Makoto felt the changes in his body and smacked his lips, a contented smile appearing on his face. This was truly a happy problem.
He didn't even look at the Sage of Six Paths, who sat cross-legged with a look of total despair nearby. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the figure tied to the pink cross. Now, a large portion of the woman's other jade-like foot was exposed. Part of the seal had been removed, and her perfect curves, surrounded by the pink halo, looked like a meticulously carved piece of jade. He looked forward to the day the seal was completely opened even more.
He turned to glance at the Sage of Six Paths, who had no desire to acknowledge him, and thought to himself:
I haven't really done anything to break the Ninja World recently. Besides writing the book, I just cleared up a rumor, which counts as a good deed. But I guess that really did have an impact on the original story line...
At this thought, the corners of Makoto's mouth turned up, and a playful glint flashed in his eyes.
If that's the case, this is getting more and more interesting...
Shimura Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen, having heard the rumors during the day, didn't dare return home until after dark. Finally unable to withstand the night, the two bit their tongues, bid each other farewell with looks of those resigned to death, and went to their respective homes to face their punishments.
As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen pushed open his front door, he ran into Sarutobi Sasuke, who was hooked up to an IV drip and still looked sickly. He had clearly been beyond livid. Mrs. Sarutobi stood beside him with a long face, the rage in her eyes nearly overflowing.
Before Hiruzen could speak, the couple's teamwork reached its peak, and they immediately gave him a combined parental beating.
"You little monkey! You actually started such a ridiculous rumor with Danzo... and you even dragged me into it! You've lost all the prestige the Sarutobi Clan has built over hundreds of years!"
"I'll teach you to mess around with boys! See if I don't beat the life out of you!"
Hiruzen howled in pain, tears nearly coming to his eyes. Facing Sarutobi Sasuke at his peak, Hiruzen had no way to defend himself and was beaten until he didn't even have the strength to beg for mercy.
After the beating, Hiruzen huddled under his blanket on his bed, whimpering while rubbing his bruised body. At the same time, he sneakily pulled out the story of A-Zang and began reading with great interest.
In the middle of the night, Sarutobi Sasuke tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Although he was angry at his son's mischief, Hiruzen was his only child after all, and he feared he had hit him too hard.
He stepped lightly into Hiruzen's room. As he approached the window, he noticed the blanket was shaking, accompanied by occasional "hehehe" snickers.
Sasuke's gaze darkened. He whipped the blanket away, revealing the desperate eyes of Sarutobi Hiruzen...